Telephone set



Dec. 4, 1934. H. F. OBERGFELL 1,

TELEPHONE SET Original F'ild July 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Imr sn E1: Herb-EFT F 'UE EZZ Dec. 4, 1934. F. OBERGFELL 1,983,393

TELEPHONE SET Original Filed July 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet: 2

\ FzgrE I Inuen UI'- Hsrbfil' F UYJTETEZZ Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,983,393 TELEPHONE SET Herbert F. Obergfell, River Forest, 111., assignor to Associated Electric Laboratories, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 18, 1932, Serial No; 623,049. Divided and this application May 20, 1933, Serial No. 671,940

2 Claims. (Cl. 179-146) My invention relates in general to telephone operating members. The aluminum cover 29 is sets and more specifically to the type of set in secured to these brackets by screws 28 and covers which the transmitter and receiver are incortheswitchhook operating means separately. porated in a handset unit mounted on the box The telephone handset member is of wellcontaining the remaining talking instrumentaliknown construction comprising a-handle 30 hav- 60 ties such as calling device, signalling devices, and ing a transmitter unit 31 incorporated in one end switchhook operating mechanism. and in the opposite end a receiver unit 32. This The telephone set herein disclosed is especially handset unit may be of any preferred construcdesigned for use as a gas-tight telephone for use tion, the details of which are not pertinent to the on air-ships, battle-ships, and the like. invention. A bent spring wire clip 33, shown 65 This application is a division of my prior 00- clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, is secured by means of pending application Serial No. 623,049, filed July bolts 34 to the cover 29 and is arranged to resil- 18, 1932, in which prior application certain feaiently grasp each side of the handle portion 30 of tures are being claimed. the handset. The purpose of this spring clip 33 The principal feature being claimed in this diis to maintain the handset 30 in a steady upright 70 visional application resides in the provision of a position and always resting normally on the spring. clip or yielding retaining means for enswitch contact-operating member 50 so that the gagement with the handset unit to hold it in constant swaying or roughmotion and movement position and preventing it from being unintenof the vessel or body upon which the telephone tionally moved or displaced. In this manner it instrument is mounted will not inadvertently ac- 75 constitutes means for preventing accidental actuate the switchhook contacts. This spring tuation of the ho'okswitch contacts by movement member 33, while preventing accidental swaying of the handset. or unintentional displacement of the handset 30,

The above feature is illustrated in the accomis not of sufficient grasping strength to prevent panying drawings and pointed out in the followthe ordinary removal and replacement of the 80 ing description. handset when in actual use for talking purposes. Fig. 1 is a front view on reduced scale of a tcl- The switchhook-contactroperating mechanism ED110118 Set mb dying my invention. is shown in Fig. 2 and comprises a plunger or Fig. 2 is a full-size side view in section showing push-button member 50 which is normally t e switchhook p t g mechanism and omitpressed inward in the casing 29 by means of the g5 ting all except those parts essential to the illushandle portion of the handset and when the tration of the invention herein claimed. hand et is removed it projects outward. The Ref r n to the w n the t mpr s a plunger 50 is journaled in a sleeve which is Ca i 5 of rectangular p preferably of a secured to a supporting bracket 51 which in turn u light-Weight material, p Which a e is clamped at each end by means of clamps 52 to 90 mounted the essential parts for operating the th e ds of the bracket members 26 and 27 same. A a u u base Plate 6 ig. 2) is atthrough the medium of screws 53. For a more tached to a suita supp rti su a and supdetailed description and disclosure of a switchports Casing 5 y bolts and nuts 7 and A p ir hook-operating arrangement similar to that just 0f aud Signal horns 10 and 11 are upported described, reference may be had to Patent No. 95

' on opposite sides of the set by bolts 46. These 1,738,919, issued December 10, 1929, to the same horns may comprise any desired operating unit in nt r, such as a receiver having a d p gm. A visual The pair of contacts which are utilized to open signalling lamp 12, preferably a neon lamp, is ,and close the telephone circuit by the removal ..mOuI1ted in a Socket or base 13 and attac ed to and replacement of the handset upon the cradle 100 the top of casing 5 by a pair of bolts and nuts member 25 are enclosed in a glass tube or vessel such as 14. A metal guard 15 protects the lamp 60 which is highly evacuated and entirely sealed, from damage. so that the arcing or sparking caused by the Asupporting bracket 20 (Fig. 2) is mounted on opening and closing of the contacts is considthe front of, casing 5 and has extensions such as erably reduced, thereby preventing burning of 105 '23 for mounting on casing 5 and a handset supthe contacts and at the same time also preporting bracket 25 mounted thereon by bolts venting any sparks, which may be generated, such as 21. The bracket 20 also has a pair of from gaining admission to the surrounding atoppositely disposed brackets such as 26 which mosphere outside the vessel. The connecting form a support for the switchhook contact and wires are completely sealed in the glass vessel 1 10 and extend out at the right-hand side of the unit. A pair of metal straps 61 spaced apart encircle the glass Vessel 60 and securely hold it in position by means of a pair of screws threaded into the, side of the bracket 51. In order to actuate the contacts, the glass stem 62 is formed in the vessel and it has one end attachedto a corrugated portion formed in the glass and extending to the left-hand end of the tube .60 in such a manner that movement of the rod 62 opens and closes the contacts through the medium of the elasticity inherent in the glass. The

cam member 5'7 of the switch-hook-operating mechanism normally bears on one side of the tube 62 and moves it downward, thereby opening the contacts when the handset is in normal position, When, however, the handset is removed from the hook member 25, the pressure of the cam member 57 is removed from the stem 62 and the stem assumes its normal position, as shown. This movement is accelerated by means of the leaf spring 63 bearing on the opposite side of the stem 62, which also holds the stem steady.

The automatic calling device or impulse sender 70 is mounted below the casing 29 and directly on the front of the box 5 by means of a number of screws 72 threaded to a flange formed around the periphery of the casing '71 containing the mechanism of the calling device. A metal ring '73 is provided on the rear side of the casing 5 to form a means for securely holding the screw 72, The mechanism of the calling device is contained Within two separate circular casings '71 and 74, preferably made of aluminum. The casing 74 is attached to the rear side of the casing 71 by means of a series of screws '75 around its periphery. The joint between the two casings 71 and '74 is such that it is practically gas-- or air-tight. A cover plate 76 attached by means of a series of screws 7'7 to the casing 74 effectively closes the rear end of the casings containing the mechanism. A circular plate '78 forms a support for the internal operating mechanism and contact springs of the calling device mechanism, and is attached to the front side of the casing '74 by means of a series of screws 79. A relatively long hollow pin 80 is threaded into one side of the casing 74 and the connecting wires for the contact springs of the calling device are passed through this pin. A suitable amount of plastic insulating compound is forced into the opening provided in pin 80 and around and between the connecting Wires so that an air-tight connection is made. It is seen that the casings 71 and '74 are completely air-tight.

Reference may be had at this point to Patent No. 1,642,822, granted September 20, 1927, to

the same inventor, for an automatic calling device which, except for a certain particular part which will hereinafter be pointed out, is of exactly the same construction as the instant case. All of. the parts and mechanisms shown in Fig. 3 of the aforesaid patent are contained Within the dotted area of the casing 74, but for the sake of clearness have not been shown therein.

Although I have described generally certain of the gas-tight features of the set, it will be understood that such features are being claimed in the parent application and that the feature herein relates to the retaining means for the handset illustrated as spring member 33 herein. This device, it will be seen, is useful wherever the set is subjected to jars or motion and effectively prevents false operation of the contacts controlled by the handset.

What is claimed is:

' 1. In a telephone set, a casing, switching mechanism in said casing, a handset unit normally supported at its upper end in a vertical position against said casing and maintaining said switching mechanism in its normal position, and means for yieldingly maintaining said handset unit in its resting position against said casing to prevent accidental actuation of said switching mechanism by swinging of the unit.

2. In a telephone set, a casing, a switching mechanism in said casing having an actuating control button projecting from the front of the casing, a handset unit mounted on the front of said casing and normally resting against said button to maintain said switching mechanism actuated, and a spring member engaging said handset unit for yieldingly holding it in position against said button and impeding any swinging action of the unit.

HERBERT F. OBERGFELL. 

